For many years, there has been some hushed disapproval for letting people live their own faith. This is something that extends even to Christians in the U.S. Armed Forces. However, this is not something that President Trump is going to stand for any longer.
The president has acknowledged that Christians are making a difference in the military, and wants them to be able to “live out their faith” as a result.
One of the founding members of the elite military division Delta Force, Retired Lt. General Jerry Boykin spoke on the subject by saying, “Trump told me his intentions that military men and women will be able to live their faith. It’s a slow change.”
He further commented on the subject when speaking to CBN News that the best way that people can honor servicemen and women for our country is by praying for them.
“Every soldier, sailor, airman, marine, coast guardsman needs our prayers so the best we can do for them is pray an earnest, sincere prayer for God’s protection over them as they go about doing their job,” he went on. “Find a veteran and thank them. You can never overdo that. You don’t know how much it means to them. Even though they may have heard it a thousand times, for somebody to say, ‘thank you for your service’ means a great deal to them, because America’s been through a period where people wanted to hide the fact that they were veterans of the armed forces, particularly during the Vietnam era.”
Boykin wanted to emphasize how big of a role that Christians have in the military. He did so by using data from a Barna poll that indicated approximately 8 out of 10 people that are in the military have said they know faithful Christians that are currently serving in the military. Beyond that, they also have a favorable opinion of the specific individuals they know.
“Quite frequently, Christians that are walking their faith, that are living their faith, that are open about their faith, are often the ones that are sought out to help comfort their comrades, particularly in times of great stress and great danger,” he continued.
Boykin provided some personal experience on the matter by saying that during his 36 years with the Army, he had some personal persecution from non-believers who actually came to him for advice and prayer later when they were experiencing times of trouble. Because of the previous administrations, there are many people in the armed services that are reeling from Christian persecution.
“You can take, for example, chaplains that were being disciplined for giving Biblical answers to questions that they were asked, particularly as it relates to marriage and human sexuality,” he said.
Boykin did say that he had personally met with President Trump about the subject, and says that the Commander-in-Chief is already working on trying to reverse the situation and environment for Christians in the military.
This is a huge step forward for the Christian community at large, not just those serving in the military. While the exact path is not yet determined, the fact that it is on the mind of the president will inevitably result in action being taken.
At the end of the interview with CBN News, Boykin remembered a pivotal moment in our history that he was an integral part of. This was a moment where he led a team of warriors in prayer before they set out on the mission to rescue 52 American hostages that were in Iran in 1980.
“I was praying for God’s protection and that God would return us to our families safely,” he recalled. “And every man that was standing there that morning, in that audience, returned home to their families basically unharmed. So we gave God the credit for that.”
This is the direction we want the military, and the world, to go back towards. Times have definitely changed, but with the president acknowledging and working on it, a step in the right direction will happen very soon.
~ 1776 Christian
